Press



y 1933- A. A. BYERLEIN 1,919,771

I PRESS Filed May 29, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 July 25, 1933- A. A. BYERLEIN PRES 5 Filed May 29, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 yhav Patented July 25, 1933 1 UNITED ream OFFICE ARTHUR A. BYERLEIN, or DETROIT, nnonrenn. ASSIGNOR ro GENERAL MACHINERY oonronacrron, or nnnrmon, OHIO, A eonronn'rron or DELAWARE.

rnnss Application filed May 29,

7 metal. 7

One object of the invention is the provision of a drawing press having a fluid pressure cushion supported in an opening in the press 'bed, the support for the cushion comprising a cradl member the upper end of which is attached to the press bed, while the lower end of the cradle member is adapted to have the bottom of the cushion rest upon it.

Another object of the invention is the provision, in a press, of a fluid pressure cushion support the upper end of which is connected to the press bed and is provided with guides for the upper part of the pressure cushion,

while thelower end of the support is adapted for the support of the bottom of the pressure cushion.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description, the appended claims and the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. '1 is a front view of a drawing press, shown partly in section, embodying the present invention; I

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; and r Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line 3'3 of Fig. 1.

.Beferrmg more particularly to the draw ings, the numeral designates the frame of a press for drawing sheet metal, or the like.

This frame embodies uprights 11 having guides 12 in which a reciprocating ram or slide member 13 is supported. As shown, the

ram is operated by links 14 connected to a crank shaft 15 which is driven-from any suitable source of power, the invention being illu'strated in connection with a single acting press although it is also applicable to presses of the double acting type.

plate 19.- A work holding member 20 en- Supported on the lower side of the ram 13 is a die17 adapted to cooperate with the lower die 18 mounted on the press bolster or bed compasses the die 18 and is supported by means of pins 21 preferably sothat in its normal, position its upper surface will be sub- 1331. Seria1 No. 540,987.

stantially flush with the upper surface of the die 18. The pins pass through holes in the bolster plate and rest upon pressure plates or pads 23. There may be any suitable number of these plates 23, two being shown in the press embodiment herein disclosed.

The pressure pads 23 form the top. walls of fluid pressure cushion constructed preferably of telescopically arranged piston and cylinder elements. The pressure cushions are connected together by a pipe 25 and connected by pipe 26 to a suitable source of air pressure so that a desired pressure is exerted through the pins 21 on the work holding member 20. During the drawing operation the work or blank will therefore be held between the upper die and the work holding member 20in such a way as topermit the metal to slide or be drawn toward the-centerof the sheet as the latter is formed over the lower die 18. It will be understood that as the upper die engages the work, the'work holding member 20 is forced down against check and reducing valves that maintain thepressure of the cushions up to some predetermined value while preventing flow from the cushions back into the line.

Each cylinder element 28 is of generally rectangular form but has a cylindrical side wall 29 that extends down from the top wall 23 and enclosesthe upper end of the piston element 30, a suitable packing washer 31 beingmounted on the pistoneleme'nt 30 by means of a retaining ring 32 or the like. Preferably the lower end of the piston element is provided with an outwardly extending flange 33 by means of which the piston element is mounted. The upper or cylinder element of course moves downwardly and upwardly during the operation of the press.

a The press frame 10 extends downwardly below-the bolster location, and provides a reach down to the bottom of the wells.

provided. These wells are separated by a transverse bed wall 39 and this wall 39 together with the sides 40 and the ends 41 of the bed top .support the bolster plate 19. The fluid pressure cushions are supported in position in the wells by means of cup-shaped or cradle-like supports 43 that extend from the upper portions of the bed and preferall illy 1e side walls of these cradle supports enclose the sides of the pressure cushions and are a little larger than the pressure cushion and a little smaller than the well openings. At the upper ends of the supports 43, the latter are provided with outwardly extending flanges 45 supported by shelf surfaces or rests 46 provided in the press bed. Bolts 47 fix the cradle supports in position on the shelf surfacest6 as determined by the locating dowels 48, thus definitely locating the cradle supports with relation to the bed.

The bottom wall 50 of the cradle support is provided with a central opening 51 that receives the bottom wall of the piston element 1 30. The flange 33 of the piston elements rests on the wall 50. The sides 53 of the cradle support are preferably arranged parallel to, but spaced a little distance from the sides of the well opening so that the cradle support may be readily lowered into the well opening from above, it being understood that the eradie support is particularly adapted for use in existing presses having suitable provision at the upper end of the bed for the support of the top of the cradle, or in a press where the bottom of the bed is inaccessible for the attachment of a supporting member for the pressure cushions. An existing press to which it is desired to apply pressure cushions of the type herein disclosed, and having a machined surface such as the shelf surfaces 46, can be readily provided with pressure cushions merely by lowering the cradles into the wells of the bed and'securing them in position by means of the bolts .47 and dowels 48. The lower end of the bottom element of the pressure cushion merely rests on the bottom wall of the cradle, as the fluid pressure holds it down at all times and as'the upper end of the piston element is telescopically engaged with the upper or cylinder element.

The piston element is therefore definitely located without necessarily being secured or bolted to the cradle support.

The upper or cylinder element is guided vertically in the cradle support. For this purpose vertical guide blocks 56 are secured by bolts 57, the heads of which are countersunk so as to be below the guide surface 58, these bolts fixing the guide blocks 56 to the sides of the cradle support as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. In the right-hand sides of these views the cradle construction is shown with the pressure cylinder removed. The flat guide surfaces 58 of the guide blocks are engaged by the flat surfaces 59 of the cylinder element which is also provided with flat surfaces 60 engaging the flat sides 61 of the guide blocks so that the cylinder element is held against transverse or lateral movement but supported so that it is free tobe moved up or down along the guide blocks. The upwar( movement of the cylinder element is preferably limited by means of studs (34 threaded in the flange 33 of the piston element, the heads 65 of these bolts engaging the upper side of flanges 66 on the cylinder element. These bolts pass through clearance holes in the flange 66 so that the cylinder element can descend although its upward travel is limited by the bolt heads and flange 66 in order that the pressure plate 23 will not strike against the bolster plate. While the form of apparatus herein described constitutes a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to this: precise form of apparatus, and that changes may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention which is defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a drawing press, a frame including a bed portion having. an opening, a. fluid pres sure cushion in said opening, and a cushion support supporting. the bottom of the cash ion, said cushionsupport extending upwardly around the cushion and having a top portion connected to an upper part of said bed por-' tion.

2. In a drawing press, a frame including a bed portion having an opening, a. fluid pressure cushion in said opening, and a cushion support supporting the. bottom of the cush ion, said cushion support extending upwardly in said opening and surrounding the cushion, and a connectionbetween the supportand bed portion at the upper ends thereof.

3. In a drawing'press, a frame including a bed portion having an opening, a fluid pressure cushion in said opening,v and a; cushion support supporting the bottom of the cushion, said cushion support extending upwardly around the cushion, said support having outwardly projecting flanges at the upper'end thereof which rest upon shelf portions. provided in said bed.

4-. In a drawing'press, a frame: in l di aw bed portion having an opening, a fluid pres-- sure cushion in said opening, and a cushion support supporting the bottom of the cushion, said cushion support extending upwardly around the cushion and having atop portion connected to an upper part of said bed por piston and cylinder elements arranged one above the other in said opening, and a cradle support for the lower of said elements, said cradle support being attached to the bed at the top of the opening and having guide surfaces for the upper one of said elements,

- 6. In a drawing press, a frame including a bed portion having an opening, a fluid pressure cushion in said opening and comprising telescoping piston and cylinder elements, and

a cushion support in said opening on which one of said elements rests and having guide surfaces for the other element, said support having outwardly extending projections resting on said bed portion.

7. In a drawing press, a frame including a bed portion having an opening, a fluid pressure cushion in said opening and comprising telescoping piston and cylinder elements, and a cushion support in said opening, said support having a bottom'wall supporting the piston, guide members mounted in said sup port for vertically guiding the cylinder element, and outward projections at the top of said support detachably secured to and resting upon the top of the bed.

8. A cradle support for the pressure cushion of a drawing press comprising a hollow cup-shaped member having outwardly ex-c I tending flanges at its upper end adapted to rest on the press bed, said member having guide surfaces adapted for engagement with the upper portion of the pressure cushion and having a bottom wall adapted for the support of the lower end of the pressure cushion.

9. In a drawing press, a frame including a bed portion having an opening, a fluid pressure cushion in said opening and comprisingv telescoping piston and cylinder elements, and

a cushion support fixed in said opening to said bed portion, on which one of said elements rests, and havingguide surfaces for the other element.

10. In a drawing press, a frame including a bed having an opening, a pressure cushion arranged in said opening and comprising upper and lower telescoping elements, means mounted in said opening and extending around and guiding the upper end of the upper element, and provision for securing said means to the press bed. 4

ARTHUR A. BYERLEIN. 

